Why the Poor Are Likely to Be Obese - Research Paper Example

? Why the Poor are Likely to Be Obese Obesity refers to the accumulation of fat in the human body. Body mass index determines that amount of fat in the body; between 25 and 30 an individual is said to be overweight whole BMI above 30 implies obesity. Gender, age, environmental factors, medication, genetic makeup, emotional problems and ill health contribute to obesity. The poor are to get obese because of their eating habits. Their meager incomes make them feed on poor quality foods. Lack of physical activities because they spend most of their time working, contribute to obesity. The poor usually undergo a lot of stress, which lead to change of eating habits; they eat more while bored and angered. In conclusion, obesity can be reduced among the poor if better living conditions are provided and inflation rates brought down. Introduction Obesity refers to a situation in which a human body accumulates a lot of fats that end up with adverse effects. Obesity is measured using the body mass index (BMI). Therefore, individuals are considered to be overweight when their body mass index is between 25 and 30, but any person whose BMI is above 30 is said to be obese. Normally, obesity is associated with too much consumption of calories accompanied by little amount of exercise. Additionally, several other factors are to contribute to obesity, for example, age, gender, medication, health conditions, and environmental factors, emotional and physical activities. It is evident that when people grow older their metabolic rates reduce; therefore, they should take different kinds of food. Young people have a lot of energy to break down the calories, which is why obesity cases are rare among them as compared to those in their 40s. In terms of gender, research shows that women are prone to obesity than men (Sutton 2005). This is because men burn up a lot of calories while resting. It has also been established that when women reach menopause, they tend to gain more weight because they experience a decrease in their metabolic rate. Research also indicates that genetic makeup of an individual can contribute to obesity. If a person’s biological mother or father is heavy, there is about 75% probability of the sibling being overweight. This is unavoidable because one is born with those genes. With the changing lifestyles, people tend to eat a lot of junk food leading to them being overweight. Working schedules have interfered with the normal functioning of human bodies because many people seat for longer hours in the office. Emotional issues influence eating habits; emotionally disturbed individuals tend to eat a lot hence poorly manage their weight. Anger and boredom also believed to cause too much eating. Ill health can also cause obesity because of hormonal changes, which slowdown metabolism (Sutton 2005). Depression and some mental diseases can also lead to too much consumption of food. While, under medication, some individual can gain weight because of the drugs they are subjected to, for example, antidepressants and steroids. Obesity can be treated through physical exercises, using foods with low fat content and high fiber; a balanced diet is emphasized. Changes in lifestyles and reduction of psychological disturbances, as well as, taking medications can reduce obesity. Several negative effects are associated with obesity for instance high blood pressure, diabetes and disease of the heart. Moreover, cancer has been associated with obesity; uterus, breast and gallbladder cancer in women while prostate cancer in men. Because a lot of weight exerts stress on the joints, the hips and knees suffer. Many people view that obese individuals are not attractive; therefore, they undergo stress because of rejection and criticism. Recently, it has been found out that the poor get obese too. Therefore, this paper seeks to identify the reasons behind obesity among the poor (Sutton 2005). Body Over the years, poverty is said to a major factor towards obesity. Inflation and high food prices will increase the rate at which people feed on low priced foods that are of poor quality. In many places, fruits and vegetables are becoming a want, not a need; therefore, high cases of obesity and diabetes are been recorded (Sutton 2005). Poor people end to eat a lot of food when they get because they are not certain of the next day. This interferes with their digestive systems. The meager salary the poor earn may not enable them to acquire a balanced diet. They only eat for them to live and not to be healthy. The food being fed on is the same every day; therefore, nutritious foods are a luxury (Sutton 2005). Seeking nutritional advice from a professional may not be a priority among the poor because of their income status hence they remain living unhealthy lives. The poor work for long hours so that they can make ends meet; therefore, they do not get time for physical activities. Lack of physical exercises has been found to contribute to overweight. They consider such activities as a waste of time, which they could have turned into a better resource, to sustain their livelihoods. Their living conditions are poor; they live in places where there is no space (Sutton 2005). Emotional disturbance is rampant among the poor because of several factors that include inferiority complex, stress and poor living conditions. Since the poor are not certain of their future lives, they get subjected to stress. The increasing living conditions are subjecting them to a lot of pressure to ensure that their families are safe. They eat large amounts of food while undergoing psychological problems, which cause high increase in weight (Sutton 2005). Conclusion In conclusion, obesity is caused by too much fat in the body together with little amount of physical activities. Environmental factors, emotional disturbances, medication, age, genetic makeup and genders are also factors that lead to diabetes. The poor are likely to get obese because of their poor income levels. Psychological problems, little or no physical activities and too much time at work result to obesity. Obesity can be prevented among the poor if they are entitled to equal living standards like the rich. Economic levels influence feeding habits; if food prices are brought down, the chances of obesity among the poor will be avoided. Reference Sutton, E. (2005). Obesity, Poverty, and the Case for Community Supported Agriculture in New York State, Hunger Action Network of NYS, from : on 27 May 2012 Read More